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Mon – Fri: 2pm – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 5pm
“Resurrecting Monuments to Moral Degradation” explores the history of the Lock Penitentiary, a religious-run institution established on Dorset Street in 1794 for the reception and employment of destitute women released from the Westmoreland Lock Hospital. Female patients infected with venereal disease were interned and employed in needlework, laundry and other female occupations. They were expected to work long hours without pay in harsh conditions. The infirmary was described as a “monument to moral degradation”, a place where women were punished for men’s desires.

The exhibition is the culmination of work by Camilla Hanney during her residency at A4 Sounds between September and November 2016. The materials and objects employed in creating the work are a response to the subject at hand. The juxtaposition of needlework and military related objects is influenced by the typical handwork undertaken by the inmates at Lock Penitentiary as well as the conspicuous relationship between venereal disease and military garrisons in Ireland.